Lumikki Andersson is what many might describe as a loner. She purposely stays out of other people's business and problems. To do otherwise will just lead to trouble that she knows she doesn't need. But when she ends up in the middle of a life-or-death situation that three careless classmates stumbled into, she finds she has no choice but to see it through to the end. And the danger runs deeper than any of them can even imagine...

The overall story arc here is interesting. Action starts right away and pulls the reader into the world of these characters. And it's a plot that I know I found I wanted to see to the end from the first few pages. But there are a few things that just didn't quite settle for me. First, Lumikki is just a high school student but she acts like a highly-trained super agent at times, which I found difficult to accept. Second, the resolution seems a bit too tidy and abrupt for such a complicated story. But it is an entertaining and interesting read. It's still a page turner even with those reservations. So I'd suggest giving it a read if you like suspense.

[Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.] ( )

This book was totally amazing and it really lived up to its reputation. The fact that it is set to happen in the city that I was born in and have lived most of my life, is just a huge plus. It enabled me to live within the book even more deeply than I normally do, I totally saw Lumikki walking in the streets with mind's eyes and it was something truly special I have to say.
Other than that, the plot was absolutely brilliant and it hooked me to it until the very end even if it was a bit unlikely to happen in the little Finland... although somehow it seems that nowadays everything is possible anywhere in the world.
I loved Lumikki as a character, she was different when compared to the usual kind of heroine and I truly found her very intriguing.
All in all, I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy. ( )

Great story-telling style with a wonderful main character. This was a page turning, super-quick read, somewhat gritty, and a good choice for fans of [a:Holly Black|25422|Holly Black|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1261867163p2/25422.jpg] I think.

Fulfils the book "that was originally published in another language" task from the Read Harder challenge. ( )

Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com

2.5 Stars

I requested As Red as Blood a while ago from Netgalley, but had not been able to read it yet. As such, the premise of this book had slipped my mind and I went into reading this expecting more of a fantasy/fairy tale based on the title/cover. It was nothing of the sort and instead is a YA thriller, a genre that has, so far, not really been my cup of tea.

I think the main reason for this is that in YA thrillers, and As Red as Blood is no exception, the main detecting/thrilling needs to be done by teenagers and it is incredibly difficult to pull this off in a way that is even remotely believable. Will teenagers safe the world? Books try to make you believe this, but I have a hard time buying it.

At the center of the story is a strong female character, who somewhat strangely falls into a bigger plot which has to do with Mafia and the like. Naturally, she and some others decide to take them down by themselves because there might be a leak in the police force.

I'm not sure about this novel. The story was a little bit too unbelievable for my liking and while the main character is very strong (she seems inspired by Lisbeth Salander) I didn't like her judgemental attitude towards everyone and everything. The writing was a bit awkward at places, which might have been a consequence of the translation. I also have the next books in the series, so I will continue sometime soon.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! ( )

Lumikki Anderson, age seventeen, goes into her quiet room, but discovers something unexpected: 500 euros hanging and drying. The room had a stench to it, but she couldn't figure out what. She soon finds out that it's blood. someone thought it was a good idea to clean money that was covered in blood and hang it up in a small school room. Walking out of the room while debating whether she should tell the principle or not, a dude runs by her with a backpack on. A really full backpack, but it didn't seem heavy. It immediately clicked. He was involved. She, however, didn't want anything to do with it. So she decided to keep her mouth shut. Over the next few days. it didn't get better. Elisa, a girl at her school who was also involved in this, figured out that Lumikki knew. Elisa called Lumikki and asked her if she could talk with her. While Lumikki was there, They found out about her fathers affair with a young girl named Natalia. She was nineteen. Elisa broke down and cried. How could her father do this? They also found out that he, too, was jacked up in all this mess. Lumikki had originally told Elisa that the money probably wasn't meant for her, but now Lumikki knows that it is. It was meant for her father. Polar Bear, a person that is the head leader of this deal, ordered him to be paid. Tehro, Elisa's father, was supposed to receive the money, but Natalia took it. So then he had to kill her. That's whos blood was on the money. Days later, Polar Bear hosted a party. Tehro went and Lumikki snuck in by dressing up as someone else. She saw who Polar Bear really was: two twin women. Couple months later, Tehro and other men who were caught up in this deal were sent to jail. Elisa and her mom both changed their names and moved. Lumikki moved back with her parents.

I kind of enjoyed this. It was originally written in Swedish, but they had someone translate it. I think that's why some stuff didn't seem to fit in. I did liked the suspense and thrill it gave. There was some long, dragged out parts that didn't need to be there, but the detail was good. Has plenty of action in it. Recommended for someone who likes adult crime novels. ( )